Romney, Obama Locked in a Dead Heat in Florida

A new poll released Saturday shows Barack Obama and Mitt Romney locked in a virtual deadheat in Florida, a state the president won in 2008.

Central Florida News 13's new poll has Obama at 46 percent and Romney at 45 percent.

The statewide telephone poll of 800 voters, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research of Jacksonville, Fla., from July 9 through July 11, has a margin of error of about 4 percent — so at this point in the race, it's a tossup.

According to the poll, the contest has Floridians split solidly along racial lines, with 93 percent of black voters backing the president and Romney leading among 53 percent of white voters.

Romney has an edge over Obama in appealing to the other side. Only 5 percent of Republicans say they would vote for the president, while 12 percent of Democrats say they would be willing to cast a ballot for the former Massachusetts governor.